Refining and scaling the Mamabase model, a data-driven intervention that identifies and supports the most vulnerable pregnant women from pregnancy until six weeks post-delivery across Nigeria, could help to reverse the increasing trend of maternal deaths across the country.
In a report on MamaBase in 20 local government areas in Lagos State by Maternal and Reproductive Health (MRH) Collective in partnership with Sterling One Foundation, Lagos Primary Healthcare Board and other partners, the model ensured that 99.9 percent of the women survived childbirth.
The intervention, which had 7,883 pregnant women from indigent backgrounds registered for MamaBase, indicated that 80 percent of them delivered their babies at a health facility, with 60 percent of them completing the recommended four or more antenatal care visits.
Acting Executive Director of Maternal and Reproductive Health Collective, Dr Olajumoke Oke, speaking at the dissemination on the MamaBase, said MamaBase intervention was birthed from a desire to reduce the maternal mortality rates in Nigeria.
“We found out that one of the essential parts of our success is because it’s a community-based intervention. In some communities, we had to also actively engage the men so they could allow their women to access help at the correct facilities.
According to her, childbirth is not a death sentence, but together we can create a brighter future for Nigerian women and their families.
“The MamaBase programme uses the MILES approach, in which we first of all map to identify the most vulnerable neighbourhoods, identify and register pregnant women in these communities, link them to health facilities and then support them throughout the pregnancy through calls and sometimes visits to ensure that they attend antenatal care,” she stated.
Dr Tosin Laleye, senior programme manager for research at MRH Collective, said Nigeria, accounted for 28.7 percent of global maternal deaths, predominantly driven by factors such as severe bleeding, economic factors including poverty, a lack of education among these women and socio-cultural factors that don’t empower women to make decisions that concern their own health.
She said community-based interventions are proven to achieve major improvements in institutional delivery rates, and reducing maternal deaths will require that women actually deliver at healthcare facilities.
“What stood out in our findings in the ‘Iyaloju Initiative”, our first attempt at reducing maternal mortality, was that most women do not like to use primary healthcare centres because of the attitude of healthcare workers. The other reasons are the cost of services, 15% had health insurance, and 16.9% that registered for antenatal go back to deliver at the facility,” Dr Laleye added.
Chief Operating Officer of MRH Collective, Mrs Funmilola Owosho, said challenges identified against reducing maternal mortality were lack of health insurance, poor access to emergency transportation for women in labour, and deep-rooted beliefs and traditions that influence health-seeking behaviours.
Dr Oke, however, declared that MamaBase in its second phase is targeting 5,000 vulnerable women who live in the most disadvantaged communities across 12 local governments in Lagos State and 10,000 vulnerable women in Kaduna State.
Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, represented by Mr David Lawal, declared that the MamaBase initiative, through its innovative community engagement, digital health tools and research-based approach, has proven that real change is possible when investment is intentional and inclusive.
According to her, the findings of the intervention should be a catalyst for stronger policies and more resilient collaborations to make maternal mortality a thing of the past in Nigeria.
“From tracking maternal health outcomes at the grassroots to amplifying the voices of frontline workers and traditional birth attendants, the project has helped us better understand where the gaps lie and, more importantly, how we can fill them sustainably,” she declared.
Permanent Secretary of Lagos Health District V, Dr Oladapo Asiyanbi, represented by Dr Amina Ahmad-Bello, said adopting interventions to stem deaths in women and children was important to bring down Nigeria’s maternal and infant mortality ratios.
Dr Asiyanbi declared that the MamaBase intervention had been successful in supporting some vulnerable pregnant women, and there is the need for more interventions to ensure no pregnant woman or child is left behind from health care.
“I would like to say that to MRH Collective; you have done so well. We want you to do more if you can, and we also call on others to please come and join hands together,” she added.
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